


Exposed, Part 2

by Shatterpath



Series: Pyramid [17]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Backstory, Established Relationship, F/F, Human Sam, Metahumans, Old Friends, no Reign, well my take on Metahumans anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-27 22:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15034553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: An important piece of Lena's past returns to her and the gang makes some new friends.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I loved 'Exposed' and wanted to do more for it. Because it's been so long, there were a few small edits to 'Exposed' to tweak it to all the events that have happened since I first wrote it. 
> 
> Since it's been so long, I went with a separate story here, though it picks up right on the heels of the first one. And the Ariases needed to be introduced, so this was a good match.
> 
> Due to changes I made early on with this universe, there are significant changes to Sam's backstory. Rather than a teenage pregnancy, Ruby came much later in her life when Sam was nearly 25. Sam was still ousted from her family, but for different reasons, as I will explain in this fic. And **NO REIGN**. That is far too confusing for this universe.
> 
> Also, this might be my favorite Maggie and Kara interaction yet. The smartasses.

There was a faint hint of January winter on the breeze from the mountains, but no one was willing to give up the beautiful day just yet. Half-asleep sprawled all over Lena's lush body, Alex blinked back some of her drowsiness when she spoke.

"So, how did it go?"

"I'm healing annoyingly fast according to my doc," Alex complimented and paused for a moment to kiss her lover. "His thanks for all the TLC."

Where she had walked Maggie back over, Kara returned the smile her sister sent her way.

"That goes for everyone, of course."

Lena pressed little kisses to the reddish strands falling over both their skins and teased, "and Lucy once again absconding the healing doohickey has nothing to do with it."

The evil smirk spread over Alex's face. "He was rather confused, yes. The swelling is way down, but it'll be another few weeks before I can persuade him to push up the normal schedule for a prosthetic fitting. Which is fine, because that will take me past the building shutdown, and I can help make sure everyone is settled."

"So the doctor you're oh-so fond of isn't so bad anymore?" Kara teased and Alex made a rude noise that didn't chase off her smile.

"God no. When I told him my kid was building me a new hand, he gave me that condescending smile, the kind we all want to smack off--" Maggie and Lena both murmured something dire in agreement. "--and pretty much ignored me. I can't wait 'til I have a working prototype to rub in his face."

Chuckling evilly, Alex perked up and gestured at the big sheets of paper rustling lightly in the breeze.

"So, what'cha working on?"

Instantly all enthusiasm, Lena squirmed away and sat on the rug beside the beanbag so that Alex could curl around her from behind.

"Well there's only two tenants left in the building and one of them is that music producer that had the entire second floor, but he's almost out. The other is stubborn old Mister Gray in 3C that we might have to bring in reinforcements for. Regardless of stubborn old men, with the place nearly empty so we got in a structural engineer to look things over before demolition starts. So at least we know what walls could be kept and so on. She drew up blueprints for us to play with! There's no hard and fast rules outside of each loft unit being separated with firewalls, which proves that Edna and Kara's units indeed used to be one. So, if we do any reconfiguring for smaller units we need to figure that out before the demo is done."

Leaning back into Alex warmth, Lena flicked a serious look between the sisters.

"You'll need to decide how you want to parcel this place out. Me? I want the whole fourth floor." At their startled blink, Lena sheepishly smiled. "I mean for our immediate family. The three of us, Bug, Eliza, a nice guest suite for Gran, a guest suite or two."

There was something unspoken in her voice, a vulnerable softness Alex couldn’t quite identify. So she played it safe and leaned in to kiss gently at Lena's neck, earning a soft giggle and the sweet press of her body snuggling closer.

"I'd like the space to really spread out and build something grand and homey and safe."

No one missed the emphasis on 'safe'. 

"The whole fourth floor, huh?" Alex teased lightly. "Mags, you and the others gonna take over the third?"

"Yeah, I'm good with the third floor. Keep the prices reasonable and you can fill up the rest of the building with NCPD and DEO."

Kara jumped in thoughtfully. "That's a good idea. And should get in some families with kids. It's a shame there's not some sort of park around here."

"Actually, I have an idea for that," Lena said. "How would you feel about a green roof? Plant the whole thing, right out to the walls?"

Startled, Kara and Alex looked at each other and then back to Lena.

"We can do that?"

She was delighted in their awe, smile a mile wide. "You can and you should. I'll even bring it up a level. Height permits and structural load would allow a penthouse level that can be specifically engineered with a roof to accommodate a reasonably deep soil load. We could have more than just a nice lush lawn, we could plant shrubs and even small trees!"

"Like a whole park here? On the roof?" Kara marveled with absolute delight, staring around the ugly surface around them. "It would huge!"

"With a good, solid fence at least ten feet high and a couple pieces of playground equipment, it would absolutely be a wonderful park. I have a small subsidiary that has most of what we would need for the infrastructure and I vaguely remember them pitching me about lightweight soils that would be perfect in this application." Her smile was warm and teasing. "I did say the deal was to show off the best parts of my company with this project."

Her voice was light, but the small unease there lingered. Wrapping her right arm around Lena's shoulder and upper chest, Alex pulled her closer, curling into her like a big cat. "Love," she whispered, nuzzling at her ear. "You haven’t overstepped. Thank you for walking us through it."

Exhaling shakily, Lena twisted around on her hip to press as close as she could. "I worry."

Kara eased over to snuggle into her other side. "It's a lot to take in, but it's exciting too. This beautiful old building gets to be a showpiece again!"

Still feeling a little emotionally shaken up, Lena was ready to head out of the open air and back to the psychological safety of the familiar paired apartments below them. She and Kara gathered up all the papers while Alex got to her feet and stretched out. That done, she smiled around the ugly roof, hair dancing in the rising breeze.

"A park."

The warm, quiet awe in Alex's tone did more to reassure Lena than any words. This project was going to be a emotionally-loaded process and they had already been through so much. Unable to stay away, she went over and wrapped Alex up in a hug, speaking in a light tone. "Cat's already been making jokes about breaking in my replacement and then returning here to ensure none of us get at one another's throats."

"We're doing okay so far," Alex teased lovingly. "But I won't keep her from meddling."

Maggie made an undignified noise and grabbed Kara's head when the grinning Kryptonian scooped her up in one arm like a toddler, her other arm full of blueprints and miscellaneous papers.

"Oh, stop squirming. You take a million years to get up and down stairs."

"Kara, when I say I like being picked up by strange women, this is not exactly what I had in mind."

The wry teasing set Alex and Lena to laughing and Kara just gave her smirking pal a level look. "Just for that I should super-speed you down there, just to mess up your hair."

"There's several 'mess my hair up' jokes I could make here, but I'm going to refrain," Maggie sassed, and Alex snorted at her.

"For once."

Once back in Kara's loft, the four distributed themselves around the space at their whim. Over the casual chatting, Lena heard her phone ring, a surprisingly rare sound with Cat gleefully knuckling L-Corp into shape, and went to her bag to retrieve it.

"Speaking of my replacement," she chuckled as she tapped at the screen and brought it to her ear. "Hi Sam!"

"There you are! I was beginning to think that we were going to have to hang out with Jess all day."

"Oh! You're in early."

"I was too excited to stay away. Could Ruby and I come over?"

"You brought Ruby too?"

"Of course! We have to figure out schools and everything."

"Sure thing. We're only a few blocks away."

With the address given and a few pleasantries exchanged, Lena hung up and flashed a smile at her companions. "So, you all get to meet Sam and Ruby."

None of them missed the faint tension lingering at the edges of her smile, Alex wrapping her girlfriend up in a hug. "I've been looking forward to it. Are you okay?"

As she did so often, Lena wallowed in the love and safety of her Tiger's embrace.

"I've known Sam for so long. Just conflicted about the past. Nothing unusual."

Alex squeezed hard, earning a squeak, before gentling, mouthing at Lena's temple. "Love, your conflict seems totally normal to me. I'm glad you're getting a chance to get a little piece of your past back."

"You're so good to me," Lena whispered thickly and just breathed in their combined warmth for the minutes they had before she had to face what would hopefully be a new beginning.

Then her phone was buzzing her, the security system asking for her permission to let in strangers, and her heart ached at the familiar grin caught by the cameras.

A grin that beamed like a lighthouse when Kara opened the door to stand aside so the old friends could soak each other up. It was like being sixteen again, nervous about her course load, leagues past any of her high school classmates, standing terrified and eager to finally tackle college. Harvard had been an education in a great many ways, many of them not positive. Then that sunny grin had caught her eye, the sharp mind and warm humor behind it keeping her hooked into a friendship that had changed her for the better.

"Lena," Sam said softly and the years fell away, Lena meeting her halfway for a full-bodied hug.

"Oh, Sam, I've missed you!"

Kara smiled at the kid standing with limited patience in the doorway. The smile was shyly returned. Sam stepped back only far enough to get a good look at her old pal, smile a mile wide. Lena had missed that smile.

"So Jess tells me you went and got yourself all domesticated?" Sam enthused and spared a quick glance around at the three strangers in the room, all of them watching her curiously. "I'm assuming one of these lovely ladies is yours? And can't believe you adopted a child! I was so excited that I had to bring Ruby along and…"

It happened fast, it always seemed to, Sam's face going shocked as she caught sight of Tilly padding in, light and bouncy on her feet as always… and her tail flipping about in concentration.

Instantly tense with protective urges, Alex and Lena didn't quite square up for a fight, but the threat was there. Blinking at the sudden tension in the room, Ruby looked from her mother to where she stared and also looked a little taken aback. 

"Carter?" Tilly called back towards the second apartment, still caught up in the tablet in her hands. "Are you…"

Then her nose caught on, nostrils flaring as she took in the scents of strangers in her immediate proximity. Alex was immediately at her side, hand gentle on the silvery-ticked black hair.

"Matilda is a Metahuman," Lena said calmly, the coolness of her tone masking the edginess.

Carter joined them then, lighting up with nervous happiness to see another kid in the room. Oblivious of --or ignoring-- the tension in the room, he straightened up and strode over to offer a hand. "Um, pleased to meet you. Carter Grant. Have you met my friend Tilly?"

Not normally an effusive boy, the nice group of adults around him and his little genius pal had been good for Carter. Ruby smiled and shook his hand, willing to be included. "I'm Ruby Arias. My mom is friends with Lena."

"Cool, mine too. Do you like board games?"

And in the nature of children, that was enough to strike up an instant bond. The larger kids approached where Tilly peeked out from behind Alex's legs. 

"You know, my science teacher talked to us about Metahumans," Ruby said calmly. "He collected some newspaper articles and science journals and we learned that it was just natural mutations, like how wolves changed to become dogs and blonde hair made red. So, sorry if people have been jerks, but I think your tail is cool. Carter says you guys have some games?"

And just like that, Tilly timidly made a new friend.


	2. Chapter 2

"I suppose I had better get used to that," Lena said tightly, her arms crossed in a defensive manner. "I just hate seeing her flinch over every stranger, wondering when the next person will stare and point or even sneer."

Blinking, Sam seemed to come back to herself, pulling her gaze away from the trio of kids. 

"I'll take the kids next door to find a game," Alex offered quietly and herded them out.

Sam looked sideswiped, more than just an unexpected tail should garner. 

"I… I never said anything. I should have trusted you, but your…"

Her eyes were a little wild, hands clenched into her sleeves hard enough that her knuckles were white. Concern pushed aside Lena's irritation and she reached out to gently touch her old friend's arm, unsurprised that Sam jumped as though burned.

"Sam, it's okay. Luthor or no, I'm still just that reckless overachiever you met in college. Remember that first Halloween? When we got so drunk and ended up in that snooty sorority house?"

A ghost of a smile flitted over Sam's face, her high stress inching down. "They didn't take us on as sisters, but mascots was the next best thing."

"Exactly. With all the time that's gone by, we're still those people underneath."

It burst over Lena's gentle reassurances, a barrage of rushed words all strain and relief. 

"I'm a Metahuman."

Both taken aback and somehow almost expecting it, Lena blinked for a moment, but her hand never moved. Floodgate breeched, Sam found herself rambling on.

"It started happening when I was fourteen, but I could fight it down until there was an incident with a pack of bullies who thought my avoiding others would make me an easy target. They… lived." The weight of shame of that confession told Lena that the survival had been a marginal one. "Mom threw me out after that, not wanting some explosive freak under her roof." The sad smile was one that Lena understood all too well. "I was at a loss until I won that scholarship from LuthorCorp."

"Oh, Sam," Lena said with wonder and put her hands on Sam's upper arms. "You're a Metahuman. Oh come hug me, you."

Sobbing, Sam fell into the offered embrace, clinging to her oldest friend. "I was so scared you'd hate me too."

"Oh, Sam, no. I could never hate you. I liked you right from that first time we met. Even as a shy thirteen year old."

They clung for long moments, Lena eventually letting loose a small scoff and her dry humor. "Knowing now what I didn't know then about Mom and Lex, I'm actually glad you never told me. I have no guarantee I would have been… discrete."

Sam echoed the wry sound. "It did rather scare me half to death, yes. I have never been happier to know that you've stayed true to you."

By unspoken agreement, they headed for the couch to relax side by side and digest the revelations.

"It's weird to have said it out loud," Sam finally mused as much to herself as Lena. "I've been choking back the terror of what I am for more than twenty years and to have it out there…"

"Both freeing and leaves you rattled?" Lena guessed gently and was rewarded with a wan, relieved smile.

"I'm so sorry I drifted away. It seemed like the only way to protect us both. Looking back, I'm not sure it was my best decision."

Resting her head on Sam's shoulder and clinging to her arm, Lena felt like that sixteen year old overachiever again, relieved to have found a friend.

"You were just waiting for the right moment. I'm glad I could help."

More moments ticked by in an easy quiet before Lena spoke again.

"Something is still bothering you."

No matter that they hadn't been close in years, Lena still recognized Sam's emotional cues. For a long moment, Sam held back, her expression impassive but eyes roiling like a storm, before giving in, her warring emotions stark on her face.

"I'm still getting used to the idea that I can talk about this freely. Just, uh, just give me a sec." Rubbing her hands over her face, Sam took a bracing breath and strove for honesty. "Whoo, okay. So, I'm terrified that Ruby will turn out to be like me, and I don't want that for her. It's terrifying knowing how dangerous you can be to others, the stress of control and… and I just don't want that for her."

The stress broke Lena's heart and she gripped down bruisingly hard on Sam's arm to focus her. After a moment, the dark eyes settled, panicked pupils easing. When Lena spoke, her voice was even and absolutely assured.

"She won't have that."

"You can't know that!" The shout did not upset Lena's calm and her smile was gentle.

"Because, Sam, you won't let her go. Not for anything. And now? You don't have to do it alone. I have some people you'll want to meet, but only when the both of you are ready."

With a gusty sigh, Sam deflated, her stress evaporating. The beseeching puppy eyes made Lena grin.

"I have to tell her, don't I?"

It felt so good to hug Sam after too long apart. "Yes, but we'll be here for the both of you. Unless you've turned into some sort of meanie, you've stumbled into a whole new village that you are going to love."

\----

Ruby was surprised that she allowed herself to be herded away by the pretty lady with the cool hair. Tilly had accepted a cupped hand to climb up onto the lady's back like a monkey, blinking yellow-coppery eyes.

Next door were two more women, one small and dark with a broken leg, and a tall blonde with a sunny smile.

"Did you find another one, Alex?" the blonde asked and Carter laughed along with the smaller lady.

"Hilarious, Kara. This is Ruby. She's Lena's friend's daughter. I should do introductions. I'm Alex Danvers, Tilly's other mom, the comedian is my sister, Kara, and our pal over there is Maggie. Tilly's Gramma Eliza is around here somewhere."

Tilly made a strange bird noise and climbed down, hesitantly approaching the far larger Ruby. "We have games over here," she said so quietly it was hard to hear, but a gesture helped Ruby figure it out. They were quietly debating the pros and cons of Risk and Monopoly with Carter when Lena and Sam walked in.

With a glance, Ruby could see that her mom was definitely upset and rushed over without a moment's hesitation.

"I'm okay, baby, but could we talk for a few minutes? In private?"

Worried, Ruby nodded and Lena gestured back the way they'd come. "We'll be here when you're ready."

When they'd gone, Alex gestured her girls over for a loose hug, Kara leaning on her back.

"Bad news?"

Shaking her head at Alex's question, Lena sighed. "No. Just life-changing. They'll be okay." More brightly, she called out, "now where's my Tilly?"

Like an affectionate rocket, Tilly leapt over to be scooped up and snuggled. 

"Is your friend okay?"

She was such a sensitive child and Lena marveled over her yet again. The big gold eyes were guileless and Lena pressed a kiss to the pucker of worry between Tilly's eyebrows. "She'll be okay, but she has things she needs to tell Ruby. We all accidently brought something to light that Sam has been avoiding for a long time."

While Lena spoke, she wandered over the couches and curled up near Maggie, the sisters following behind.

"See, it turns out that Sam is a Metahuman too, but she's never told anyone."

"Why?"

"Because she had some terrible experiences related to it. She accidently hurt people and her mother made her leave her home when she was too young to be on her own."

Clearly upset by the news, Tilly looked down where she played with Lena's fingers. While Lena hated upsetting her new daughter, she also refused to avoid painful subjects.

"You told me that there are mean people who wouldn't like me because I'm different. I'm sad that happened to your friend."

"Me too, love," Lena reassured her and they hugged, Alex pressing kisses to their dark heads. It still blew Lena's mind a bit, the trust these people had in her. All of them remained respectfully silent while she spoke with Tilly. "But she doesn't have to do this alone anymore. She has me again, and I think all of you will like her too."

Matilda smiled shyly, the flex of her facial muscles a tickle on Lena's cheek. "I like Ruby. She was really nice, even though she is older than me. And she's tall!"

"Everyone is tall to you, dinky," Alex teased lightly and laughed at whatever look Tilly shot her. Strong arms wound around Lena and Tilly to squeeze. "And remember, both of you, that you'll never be alone. You have a whole, massive family now. What Sam went through will never be your fate."

With practice, Tilly had gotten much better at knowing the physical tolerances of her new family, much more careful at how she clambered all over them. They were all thankful for fewer bruises, no matter how lovingly given. Twisting around in Lena's embrace, strong little arms wound around both mothers as best as Matilda could, squeezing them and breathing in the smells of them.

"So, is that the only secret? Or are there secrets like Mama's secrets?" The cheeky question earned chuckles even as Tilly sighed dramatically. "We hafta be careful around your friends, right?"

"I'm afraid so."

Alex squeezed again and her voice was soft. "If that changes, kiddo. We'll be certain to let you know, okay?"

"Okay."

Eventually, a sleepy-eyed Susan was herded in by Eliza, who was more than happy to add in two more mouths to feed for dinner.

By the time the Ariases tentatively poked their heads back in, most of the gang had returned. The big, noisy crowd made them blink, but smiles reassured them. It was Eliza who approached them, the others hanging back.

"You must be Lena's friends. Hi. I'm Eliza Danvers, the girl's mother."

There was no recognition, though Sam smiled and shook hands politely. "Uh, we never got a chance to actually meet anyone." When she looked down to where her daughter was pressed to her front, her smile warmed. "Something came up."

Eliza didn't need details, she just raised her voice and called out, "Lena, honey? Your friends are back!"

The news took a minute to travel through the noise, but eventually the ruckus dropped off and Lena appeared in the open doorway between living room and kitchen. Before she could say a word, Reba made a shooing gesture, yelling with no heat at all.

"Out, out, Danvers sisters! Before you ruin dinner with your mere presence!"

Looking amused and guilty, Alex and Kara retreated from where they'd been peeking around the doorway. Sam and Ruby obeyed Lena's 'follow me' gesture into the living room where Maggie was egging on Winn and Kyra duking it out over some video game.

"So, which one is yours, anyway?" Sam asked as she absorbed the gaggle of colorful people. "I mean, I've assumed the cute redhead that your Tilly went to, but assuming is rarely a good thing."

Lena laughed and waved her two favorites over. "Come here, Danvers duo."

Half eager and half shy, they did as ordered. Sam noted that despite the two of them looking as opposite as could be, their body language was a reflection of the other, right down to the shy smiles. It was fascinating.

Lena slung a casual arm around Kara, as she happened to be closer, gesturing from one to the other. "Kara, best friend, Alex, girlfriend."

Grinning, Sam offered a friendly hand. "Sam, old friend."

Kara chuckled and wrapped a warm hand around Sam's. "It's a pleasure, Sam. Welcome to the chaos."

Then she did the damnest thing, letting go of Sam's right hand only to reach out and scoop up her left, tugging gently towards her sister. Something anxious eased in Alex's dark eyes as her own left hand reached out. "Thanks. Um, the right is incapacitated. Pleased to meet you."

It was awkward, but Sam figured it had to do with the way the woman held her right arm to her body, hand hidden in her open over-shirt.

"No problem. And you met Ruby already. Thank you for taking care of her earlier."

Alex's body language eased further and she smiled at Ruby who stood nearby. "No problem. Bug likes her." She made a self-depreciating mouth twist. "Um, Tilly. Matilda. Bug is her nickname. That I gave her."

She was nervous and her hand convulsed in Sam's. A slow grin from the taller woman eased down the nervousness and when Sam did speak, the tone was playful.

"Alex, relax. I don't bite. And while I am enormously curious about you, because a sweetly domesticated Lena is something I wasn't sure I'd ever see, I'm not going to grill you either."

The gentle tease worked, Alex's tense smile easing and Sam finally saw it, the warmth and intelligence and good humor that Lena had fallen in love with.

"Okay, that's fair. Truthfully, I look forward to hearing more about Lena." The sappy look Alex fired her lady spoke volumes. "We haven't had the time to get to know one another as well as I'd like."

Grinning, Lena half curled around a smirking Kara to hook her hand around Alex's neck and draw her into a sweet kiss. "Mutual, love."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: For my Pyramid regulars, several minor changes have been made waaaay back in 'It Takes a Village', chapter 8. There, Jess was ruminating on her past with Lena. The changes have resulted that Lena was only 19 and a year out of college and that Jess is a year older, not younger. This means that they have known one another for nearly 12 years. In building Lena's past with Sam, these adjustments worked better.
> 
> Special thanks to Ariestess for the suggestion of the Model UN, because I was stumped for an idea!

Kara's mock gagging noise and eyeroll made Ruby giggle right along with Lena.

"Oh, get a room," earned her an elbow to the ribs from her sister and a smack in the arm from her best friend as they left off the kissing.

Looking around, Lena called, "now where's my Matilda?"

From the general direction of the couches, Tilly barreled over and was swept into a hug.

"It's getting loud in here. How about we go hang out with my friends for a bit in Auntie Kara's place?"

Tilly nodded against the dark hair where she'd buried her face, clinging hard. Leading the way next door, Lena shooed Sam and Ruby towards the couches while she paused by the bed.

"You have some pent up energy, sweetie. How about you show me how good you've gotten at jumping on the bed?"

It was all the invitation Tilly needed, dropping onto the soft surface to roll around and then frisk about gleefully while her mommy laughed and clapped in encouragement. The way she crouched and pounced was so fox-like that the tail seemed almost redundant.

"That's my girl!" Lena crowed and caught the gentle flying leap to make it a full-body hug. "Better?"

"Yes! Thank you, Mommy. But now I'm thirsty."

"I got it," Alex announced as she joined them with a half-dozen small mugs dangling from her fingers and a sealed plastic jug clamped in her right arm. Even from a distance, there was no mistaking the foreshortened hand beneath its black pressure wrap. Both Arias women blinked and Ruby looked to her mother for a cue. For a moment, Alex stood still, something almost threatening in her stance, before she gentled and walked over, cups held out. "I have some ginger ale here if you'd like some. Bug and her cousins aren't fans of lemons, but they like this stuff. Come get some, bouncy girl."

Giggling, Bug squirmed to be set down and padded over to the couches for her drink. "Yum! It's even cold."

Only those that knew Alex well could see the nervousness in her. Even Lena wasn't completely certain she wasn't imaging it. Sitting on the couch, she patted the space beside her, glad for the much larger piece of furniture than Kara had once had in the space.

"Come sit with me, loves," she coaxed at her girls, relishing how Alex sat and curled to her back, Tilly taking up her lap.

With everyone having a refreshment, a faintly awkward quiet fell over them. It was Sam who broke it, clearing her throat softly. "So, Tilly? I'm very sorry I made you uncomfortable earlier, and I wanted to thank you."

Curious, the child perked up where she was cuddled into Lena, playing gently with Alex's mauled hand. "Thank me?"

"Yes. You see, I had never talked with Ruby about being a Metahuman and that I have strange… powers."

Matilda nodded sagely, completely unfazed by the confession. "My cousins can teleport, which means they can dis'pear from one place and instantly appear somewhere else. And I am very smart."

"Not the tail?" Ruby asked curiously and flinched when the adults all stared at her. "What? I'm just curious. And that teleport sounds cool."

So Bug launched into a retelling of her origin story and how she had come to be with her new family. About Lillian and Cadmus and the FBI raid and the bad man who scared her and hurt Mama so badly. About how the world was a scary place, and so loud, but she felt safe with the mothers she had come to love so dearly.

The heartwarming and horrifying tale had Sam and Ruby enraptured. Matilda was almost unnervingly calm about the whole tale and when she did grow agitated over particularly dark parts, she was instantly calmed by gentle touches from her adults.

Sam was torn between marveling at the tale and how her old friend was surrounded by loved ones. Lena had always been so strong and so wounded, yet remained a good person. But she had rarely been… soft. Not like this, sandwiched between lover and child, grinning warmly at the best friend who joined them with a platter of fruit slices and cheese.

Tilly was clearly distracted by the nibblies, but was nearly done rambling on anyway. So Sam waved off an equally fascinated Ruby towards the snacks and grinned at Lena and Alex.

"FBI, huh? That makes you some sort of supercop."

The tease earned a wry grin that broadened at Lena's giggle. "They're worth it," Alex murmured against the smooth, dark fall of Lena's hair. "They're worth everything."

Feeling like she was intruding on the intimate moment, Sam turned her smile to Kara, who froze with a mouthful of fruit. "And what about you?"

"Adopted alien refugee."

For a moment, the shock in the room was so profound, their collective heartbeats were almost audible. Then Sam snerked and started cracking up, Kara's deadpan expression gone smug.

"Okay, okay, you got me. Adopted by the Danvers when I was a tweeny. I'm a junior reporter for Catco Magazine and was sent to interview Lena and we hit it off and the rest is history."

Alex very carefully kept her face hidden in the curve of Lena's neck, not certain she could keep from glowering at her sister after that heart-attack inducing prank.

"I'd kick her ass if it would do any good," she muttered just barely loud enough for Lena to hear and chuckle at. Desperate for a subject change, Alex raised her head and managed to speak in a fairly normal tone. "So, you guys must have known each other for a long time?"

Sam didn't hesitate to adapt. "We have. We met very briefly when we were teens and I won a fancy scholarship from LuthorCorp. I was a terrified seventeen year old, blue-collar kid, meeting all these rich, powerful people and she was a thirteen year old waif who didn't want to be there, all dark hair and those big, green eyes. Hadn't grown into that dramatic jaw yet, so she looked like a startled little fae owl."

Alex tried not to laugh, but a little snerk escaped her anyway. "Man, I hope you have pictures somewhere."

"I can see you two are going to be trouble," Lena snarked dryly and earned laughter. Saluting her old pal with her cup, Sam continued on, caught up in Alex's avid curiosity.

"So, I finished up high school and headed for Harvard. Thank everything holy for a full scholarship, housing and meal plan included, so that I could focus on the work. A five year minimum commitment to LuthorCorp was an easy concession to make for the chance, you know? When Lex Luthor contacted me and asked me to keep an eye on his sister, I half thought he was kidding, but when school reconvened in the fall of oh-two, I tracked down the determined but terrified kid."

With a grinning gasp of false outrage, Lena reached out to comically flail at Sam. "How dare you tell all my secrets!"

"Secrets. Right," Sam scoffed with an epic eye-roll. "You would have stormed Harvard at fourteen if it wasn't for that club you liked so much in your snooty prep school. What was it again?"

"Model UN," Lena answered haughtily.

"Like United Nations?" Alex asked for clarification, fascinated with all these new insights into her girlfriend.

"Yes. It was along the lines of a debate club where we discussed and argued world politics past and present. I loved it and it was excellent prep for a life in the business world. And I really loved my physics teacher."

"Who you also had a crush on."

"Sam!"

"And regular debate team, and the chess team, whom she ruled like the genius she is. You were pretty damn good at tennis too, if I remember."

"Until I got to top-heavy, yes."

Alex nuzzled the corner of Lena's half-scowl, half sheepish grin. "You get more amazing the more I learn about you. I never had the brain cells to do any extracurriculars."

"Well trying to slam a double doctorate takes up a brain's capacity."

"True."

"I had so many AP classes that my graduating early was easier than you think."

"Wait, you graduated early too?"

"Well," Lena hedged shyly, her eyes evasive. "I would have missed Sam too much if I were left there on my own."

Sam just laughed.

After a refill of the tasty soda, Sam leaned back and once more turned her attention to the lovely couple. "I was happy to be her voice of reason, and call her out for being super extra periodically."

It took a moment for Lena's attention to drift away from where Tilly and Ruby had gravitated to Kara and whatever she was drawing on some paper. Her expression was gentle, echoed in Sam's face.

"She really was a huge stabilizing influence on me."

"And you made everyone around you up their game. Yeah, there was some jerks, there always are, but the smart ones appreciated you, even if you were a punk."

They smirked at each other before Sam turned her attention to Alex, where she was half listening and half caught up in the woman in her arms.

"What about you, Alex?"

With her name came alertness, the brown eyes snapping over.

"FBI and almost double doctorate. Impressive. Not that I expected anything less from the sort that the overachiever here would gravitate to."

"I appreciate intelligence, drive and strength of character," Lena flattered as she cupped Alex's cheek and turned her head to press kisses to the other cheek. "And you, my sweet tiger, have all of that and more."

"Flatterer," Alex mumbled, blushing hotly, but not moving away from the sweet attention. With a feline smirk, Lena left off the attentions and Alex had to clear her throat and shake her head to get her mind back on the question.

"I unfortunately served my full sentence of high school. Though I did well enough that I got to debate for two years between UCNC and USC. Went with the latter by a slim margin because of a few science levels unique to them. Ditched out on my MD because of burnout and got recruited by the FBI and haven't bothered to go back. Got my PHD though."

Intrigued, Sam settled in more comfortably and quirked a little grin encouragement. "Yeah? What did you specialize in?"

"Biotech."

"God, no wonder you two get on like a house on fire. Couple of hot brainiacs and a cute kid who is apparently smarter than you both? When I was catching up with Jess, I could hardly believe the gossip! You went and got yourself all domesticated and half-married and adopted a kid? I was like, excuse you, Lena Luthor!"

The old friends giggled like children and Alex found herself smiling along. She was ecstatic for Lena to have this clearly adored person back in her life again. That Sam was smart and charming and adapting well to the chaos around her was an excellent bonus. The more the merrier.

A sudden break for the bed by Kara and the two kids had Lena giving Alex a quick kiss before standing. "I better supervise the children. Behave yourself, Sam."

Alex didn't miss the mockingly innocent look Sam shot her pal before she turned her attention back. More at ease now, Alex smiled a bit, to Sam's clear delight.

"Sixteen? Jesus. She didn't tell me she was that young."

It might not have been what Alex had probably meant to say, but fell out of her mouth anyway. She was still pretty blown away.

"She plays it down, as being an overachiever is the baseline model of being a Luthor," Sam said with a real effort to keep her tone relatively neutral. "If she wasn't extraordinary, she was merely mediocre and that was unacceptable. Luckily, she's a genius and driven as hell. So yeah, cocky as shit on the surface, ready to take over the world, so to speak, but a terrified baby underneath."

It was a blunt synopsis of her lover, from someone who knew her better than Alex did.

"I'm not sure she's even capable of mediocre," she finally managed to string some words together, gaze drawn to where Lena played goalie on one side of the bed, while Kara guarded the other, the girls holding hands and bouncing like popcorn.

"She's really not."

In her enthusiasm, Matilda put a little too much fox in her bounce and tripped a laughing Ruby up. Luckily, Kara was able to get a hand out and give a sharp tug to ensure the girls landed in a heap away from the metal bed frame.

Alex hadn't even realized she'd reacted until she saw both hands reaching out as though to help. The startling difference in shape had by no means lost any of its shock value and she swallowed hard and drew them both back to lay them in her lap. Sam wanted to ask if she were alright, but they were strangers and she held her tongue.

"I wanted to shake your hand."

Whatever Sam had expected Alex to say, it wasn't that. Curious, she tilted her head and encouraged gently, "you did shake my hand."

There was tension in Alex's broken smile, a shuttered glimpse of what had clearly been a horrific trauma that resulted in her amputated hand.

"You're the first strangers I've interacted with-- outside of medical care which doesn't count in this case-- that I've wanted to properly shake hands with. Because you're important to her."

The way she gazed at Lena, tension draining away in the love writ large there, spoke more than words ever could. It was adoration and devotion, making Lena smile, sweet and smitten and almost shy.

Sam's quiet smile was a thank you to an all too often cold and harsh universe. With maybe just a touch of gentle wistfulness.

They had something anyone would want to be a part of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shatterpath: DAMMIT, WHY DO YOU TWO HAVE TO BE SO MANOGOMOUS?  
> theillogicalthinker: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. This Lena covets  
> Shatterpath: and this Alex is too loyal to stray. later, she'd be shocked. "I was NOT flirting! NUH UH!"  
> theillogicalthinker: Hahahaha


End file.
